Theft resistant container for displaying and storing retail products

ABSTRACT

A theft resistant container is disclosed for storing and displaying retail products. The container includes a base and a lid connected to each other by a hinge. The base and lid both have a generally rectangular structure with front and rear edges and a pair of side edges. The base and lid have respective contact areas secured to each other by welding or an adhesive to resist movement of the lid relative to the base. The side edges of the lid each have a lip that overlaps a mating edge of the respective side edges of the base to create a barrier when the container is closed that prevents penetration by a knife blade or the like to tamper with the welded contact areas. A plastic overwrap is placed over the base and the lid, which provides an additional resistance to movement of the lid relative to the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to theft resistantcontainers for displaying and storing retail products. In particular,the present invention relates to plastic containers for displaying andstoring audio/video discs, cassettes, and the like, which have a theftresistant seal provided on at least one side of the container to preventtheft of a product from within the container.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Retailers have been experiencing a high rate of theft among agroup of high-target items, including prerecorded audio products, videoproducts, and video games. Often, an individual will remove the productfrom the package and return the package to the shelf, while making offwith the prerecorded media.

[0005] One popular method of removing the disc calls for the individualto slit the overwrap along the bottom seam of the case, pop the disc offof the hub, bend the case to create a slight gap along the bottom joint,and slide the disc through the gap. The display case is then returned tothe shelf with the visible sides of the case undisturbed. An unwittingconsumer can potentially buy the empty case and not discover the problemuntil he or she tries to enjoy the product for the first time.

[0006] Several retailers and retailer associations have asked themanufacturers of these products as well as suppliers of storage anddisplay devices to develop a low cost solution which will impede theunauthorized removal of products from their cases in the retailer'splace of business. Numerous attempts have been made to solve thisproblem. For example, the product can be stored in a location notreadily accessible by the consumer. This can be accomplished by lockeddisplay cabinets, displaying product cards or tickets, or displayingempty or dummy products on the shelves. Upon request, employees of theretailer can access the product and deliver it to the consumer. However,this proposed solution has the effect of reducing sales because abarrier is placed between the consumer and the product.

[0007] An electronic surveillance device can be applied to the storageand/or display device. However, electronic surveillance devices can bebypassed simply by removing the product from the display device. Theindividual can then conceal the product and leave the store withouttriggering the surveillance hardware.

[0008] An additional and/or thicker overwrap can be used to cover thestorage and/or display device. However, the use of an additionaloverwrap has several disadvantages including: it requires the additionof more equipment, namely the overwrapper itself and the requiredhandling systems; it consumes valuable factory floor space; it createssignificant downtime for the manufacturer's product assembly process; itincreases the amount of labor required to assemble the product; the costof the overwrap material, the additional utilities for operating a hightemperature heat tunnel, and the increased management adds to theoverall cost; and the additional overwrap can be circumvented in thesame manner as the current overwrap. The use of a thicker overwrap hassimilar disadvantages, including: it increases the cost of the materialon a per unit basis; it requires more energy to process; fewer units canbe overwrapped for each roll of a given thickness; new process problemsmay arise due to the thicker wrap material; the clarity of the wrap willpotentially suffer; shrink film wrapping systems would be required,which would require more floor space, consume more energy, and incurmore downtime than foil-type wrapping machines; and the thicker overwrapcan be circumvented in the same manner as the current overwrap. The useof a second, thicker overwrap would have all of these disadvantageswithout providing any significant improvement in security.

[0009] A spine label can be applied along the bottom edge of the case.For example, a label which closely resembles the edge-label applied tothe top of the case by most product manufacturers can be applied alongthe bottom edge of the case. However, the use of an additional spinelabel has several disadvantages, including: it requires additionalcapital investment; it consumes valuable factory floor space; it createssignificant downtime on the assembly systems; it requires thereplenishment and management of the labels, resulting in more downtimeand cost; the cost of the labels is significant; and a spine label canbe circumvented in the same manner as the current overwrap. The use of aspine label with an additional and/or thicker overwrap would have all ofthese disadvantages without providing any significant improvement insecurity.

[0010] Devices can be used to make the disc more difficult to removefrom the hub. For example, a clip or flange can be added to the casewhich is secured to the hub of the disc during the assembly processafter the product has been inserted in the case. However, this has thefollowing disadvantages: the additional cost of the component and thetooling required to fabricate the component; many unique hub designs areused which will require unique components; this solution cannot be usedfor cases of products (e.g., VHS cassettes, etc.) which do not have ahub; it requires an additional assembly process, increasing labor costs;it involves increased material management costs; the operation cannot beperformed off-line from the assembly process; adding the operation tothe assembly equipment increases the downtime of the equipmentsignificantly; and new equipment may be required.

[0011] A tamper-evident label can be used to hold the disc in place.However, this has the following disadvantages: the cost of the label; itcannot be used for cases of products (e.g., VHS cassettes, etc.) whichdo not incorporate a hub; it requires additional assembly process,increasing labor costs; it involves increased material management costs;the operation cannot be performed off-line from the assembly process;adding the operation to the assembly equipment increases the downtime ofthe equipment significantly; and new equipment may be required.

[0012] The display device can be partially or entirely enclosed by amechanism, such as a blisterpack-style enclosure applied by the productmanufacturer or distributor, or a reusable enclosure applied by theretailer or distributor. However, blisterpack-style enclosures haveseveral disadvantages including: the cost of the enclosure is very high;they require an additional assembly process with increased labor costs;they require purchasing new machines to assemble the enclosure; somecases are unique and may require a unique enclosure; the enclosures arebulky and require increased material management costs; shippingcontainers must be redesigned and may result in the obsolescence ofequipment for packing the cases; and the consumer must discard the case,increasing the negative impact of the industry on the environment. Thereusable enclosures applied by the retailer or distributor have similardisadvantages, including: the additional cost of the enclosure; itrequires an additional process, increasing labor costs at the retaileror distributor; it increases the lead-time to the store shelf; it mayrequire purchasing new machines to assemble the enclosure; some casesare unique and may require a unique enclosure: the enclosures are bulkyand require significant storage space; and shipping containers must beredesigned and may result in the obsolescence of the equipment used forpacking the cases.

[0013] Thus, there is a need in the industry for an improved theftresistant container for storing and displaying retail products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide a theftresistant container for storing and displaying retail products, such asaudio/video discs, cassettes, and the like, which does not suffer fromthe disadvantages described above.

[0015] It is a further object of the present invention to provide atheft resistant container for storing and displaying retail productsthat is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and effective inuse, and suitable for use with a variety of retail products.

[0016] It is a further object of the present invention to provide acontainer for storing and displaying audio/video discs that does notallow the discs to be removed without disturbing the visible sides ofthe case.

[0017] According to the present invention, a theft resistant containeris provided for storing and displaying retail products. The containerincludes a base and a lid which are connected to each other by a hinge.The base and lid both have a generally rectangular structure with frontand rear edges and a pair of side edges. The base and lid haverespective contact areas secured to each other by welding or by anadhesive to resist movement of the lid relative to the base. The sideedges of the lid each have a lip that overlaps a mating edge of therespective side edges of the base to create a barrier when the containeris closed that prevents penetration by a knife blade or the like totamper with the welded contact areas. A plastic overwrap is placed overthe base and the lid to provide an additional resistance to movement ofthe lid relative to the base. Other features and variations of the theftresistant container of the present invention are disclosed.

[0018] According to a broad aspect of the present invention, a theftresistant container for retail products is provided comprising: a basehaving a first contact area, a lid connected to the base by a hinge, thelid having a second contact area, and the first and second contact areasbeing secured to each other to resist movement of the lid about thehinge relative to the base.

[0019] According to another broad aspect of the present invention, atheft resistant container containing a retail product is provided, thecontainer comprising: a base having a generally rectangular structurewith front and rear edges and a pair of side edges, the base having afirst contact area formed on at least one of the front and side edgesthereof; a lid having a generally rectangular structure with front andrear edges and a pair of side edges, the lid having a second contactarea formed on at least one of the front and side edges thereof, therear edge of the lid being connected to the rear edge of the base by ahinge; the first and second contact areas being secured to each other toresist movement of the lid relative to the base; and a plastic overwrapcovering the base and the lid, the plastic overwrap providing anadditional resistance to movement of the lid relative to the base.

[0020] According to another broad aspect of the present invention, amethod of making a theft resistant container is provided, comprising thesteps of: providing a base having a generally rectangular structure withfront and rear edges and a pair of side edges; providing a lid having agenerally rectangular structure with front and rear edges and a pair ofside edges, the rear edge of the lid being connected to the rear edge ofthe base by a hinge; welding at least one of the side edges of the baseto at least one of the side edges of the lid to thereby resist movementof the lid relative to the base; and covering the base and the lid witha plastic overwrap that provides an additional resistance to movement ofthe lid relative to the base.

[0021] Numerous other objects of the present invention will be apparentto those skilled in this art from the following description whereinthere is shown and described preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, simply by way of illustration of the modes best suited tocarry out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capableof other different embodiments, and its several details are capable ofmodification in various obvious aspects without departing from theinvention. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be regardedas illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will become more clearly appreciated as thedisclosure of the invention is made with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plastic clamshell containerbeing formed with a theft prevention seal along two sides.

[0024]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional side view of a portion of the plasticcontainer shown in FIG. 1 with a knife blade contact area indicated.

[0025]FIG. 2A is a cross sectional side view of a portion of the plasticcontainer showing a plastic overwrap having been applied over the baseand the lid.

[0026]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plastic container of FIG. 1 ina closed position and being held by a pair of hands.

[0027]FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 with the frontedges of the plastic container being pulled outward to open thecontainer.

[0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an open plastic containeraccording to the present invention showing energy directors used to formtheft prevention seals along the sides of the container.

[0029]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the open plastic container shown in FIG.5.

[0030]FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a top edge of the plasticcontainer of FIG. 6, as taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6.

[0031]FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a bottom edge of the plasticcontainer of FIG. 6, as taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 6.

[0032]FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the top and bottom edges ofthe plastic container in an engaged position.

[0033]FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the top and bottom edges of aplastic container according to another embodiment wherein an energydirector is provided for creating a weld joint between the top andbottom edges.

[0034]FIG. 11 is a cross section view of the top and bottom edges of aplastic container according to another embodiment wherein a disc guardis provided for preventing the disc from sliding out.

[0035]FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the top and bottom edges of aplastic container having an energy director along the lip of thecontainer lid for creating a weld joint between the top and bottomedges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] A theft resistant plastic container for storing and displayingretail products according to preferred embodiments of the presentinvention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 of theaccompanying drawings.

[0037] The theft resistant container 10 of the present invention has abase 111 and a lid 12 which are connected to each other by a hinge 13.The base 111 and lid 12 are formed of polypropylene or other suitablematerial, for example, which is typically used for containers that storeand display audio/video discs and the like.

[0038] The base 11 has a generally rectangular plate structure 14 withfront and rear edges 15, 16 and a pair of side edges 17, 18. The frontedge 15 and the side edges 17, 18 extend perpendicularly from the platestructure 14 to form a recess into which a retail product can be placed.The front edge 15 of the base 11 has a finger grip structure 19 formedtherein to facilitate opening the container 10. If the retail product isan audio/video disc, such as a CD or DVD, a recess 20 and a hub 21 areprovided on the plate structure 14 to hold the disc within the container10, as shown in FIG. 5. A plurality of finger depressions 22 are spacedaround the recess 20 to facilitate popping the disc off of the hub 21when the container 10 is opened.

[0039] The lid 12 has a generally rectangular plate structure 23 thatcorresponds to the dimensions of the base 11. The lid 12 has front andrear edges 24, 25 and a pair of side edges 26, 27. The front edge 24 andthe side edges 26, 27 of the lid 12 extend perpendicularly from theplate structure 23 to form a recess to accommodate a portion of theretail product placed in the recess of the base 11. The front edge 24 ofthe lid 12 has a finger grip structure 28 formed therein to facilitateopening the container 10. The rear edge 25 of the lid 12 is connected tothe rear edge 25 of the base 11 by the hinge 13 The base 11, lid 12, andhinge 13 can be formed in a single integral piece by a conventionalplastic molding process. Alternatively, the base 11 and lid 12 can beformed as two separate components which are connected together by aconventional hinge structure.

[0040] The front edge 15 and side edges 17, 18 of the base 11 havecontact areas 29, 30, 31 that are engaged with corresponding contactareas 32, 33, 34 formed on the front edge 24 and side edges 26, 27 ofthe lid 12. The theft resistant seal of the present invention is createdby welding or otherwise securing the lid 12 to the base 11 at selectedlocations along the contact areas 29-34 when the case is closed. Thiscan be done, for example, by melting the lid 12 and base 11 togetheralong the contact areas 29-34 by introducing a mechanical energy whichin turn creates thermal energy, or by introducing thermal energydirectly.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact areas 29,30 comprise engaging surfaces that extend along the lengths of the sideedges 17, 18 of the base 11, and the contact areas 32, 33 compriseengaging surfaces that extend along the lengths of the side edges 26, 27of the lid 12. The engaging surfaces 32, 33 of the lid 12 are secured tothe engaging surfaces 29, 30 of the base 11 after the container 10 isclosed with the retail product inside. The engaging surfaces 29, 30 and32, 33 can be secured together by ultrasonic welding as explained below,or by a suitable adhesive. Additional engaging surfaces can be providedalong the lengths of the contact areas 31 and 34 at the front edges 15and 24 of the base 11 and the lid 12, respectively, and secured togetherin a similar manner after the container 10 is closed.

[0042] The weld between the contact areas 29-34 of the base 11 and thelid 12 can be created effectively by supporting one side 35 of thecontainer 10 against a stationary, rigid brace 36 and introducing anenergy transfer mechanism 37, such as an ultrasonic horn, to theopposite side 38 of the container 10 where it makes contact with theoutside edge of the container 10 directly above the areas intended to bewelded and applies a preset amount of mechanical force to pre-load theweld areas. The energy transfer mechanism 37 actuates and vibrates at ahigh frequency, usually around 20,000 hertz. This motion is transferreddown through the walls of the container causing the energized side 35 ofthe container 10 to vibrate at a high frequency. Since the opposite side38 of the container 10 is held more rigidly, the affected contactsurfaces 29-34 between the lid 12 and the base 11 move with respect toeach other at a high frequency. The friction between the affectedcontact surfaces 29-34 resists the relative movement of the two matingparts. When sufficient friction is encountered, some of the mechanicalenergy is converted to thermal energy and the affected contact surfaces29-34 of both the lid 12 and the base 11 begin to melt. The horn 37 isenergized for a preselected duration, and upon completion, the horn 37continues to apply the prescribed amount of mechanical pressure longenough for the melted plastic to solidify. Once the plastic hassolidified, a mechanical joint 39 has been created between the lid 12and the base 11, which provides a theft resistant seal.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2A, a plastic overwrap 40 is applied to coverthe base 11 and the lid 12. The plastic overwrap 40 can be applied in aknown manner using a cigarette-style wrapping machine, a shrink filmwrapping machine, or the like. The plastic overwrap 40 can be ahigh-clarity plastic wrap with a functional tear-strip, which ispreferred by several producers of audio, video, and video game products.The plastic overwrap 40 can be applied either before or after the weldedjoint 39 is formed between the lid 12 and the base 13. The plasticoverwrap 40 functions to protect the container 10 and to resist openingof the container 10 to remove the product until the overwrap 40 isremoved.

[0044] The welded mechanical joint 39 formed between the lid 12 and thebase 11 is sufficiently strong to create a seal between the lid 12 andthe base 11 which is difficult to overcome without pulling the container10 open via the finger grips. For an individual to open the case via thefinger-grips 19, 28, the tear-strip and the plastic overwrap 40 must beremoved or slit along at least two edges. The common method of theft inwhich an individual slits the overwrap along the bottom seam of thecase, pops the disc off of the hub, bends the case to create a slightgap along the bottom joint, and slides the disc through the gap, isseverely impeded. The strength of the welded joint 39 keeps thecontainer 10 sealed as the individual tries to create a gap at thebottom, top, and/or side of the container 10.

[0045] As shown in the cross section view of FIG. 2, the side edges 17,18 and front edge 15 of the base 11 and the side edges 26, 27 and frontedge 24 of the lid 12 each have stepped profiles that cooperate witheach other to conceal and protect the respective engaging surfaces andweld joint 39 from tampering. The side edges 17, 18 and front edge 15 ofthe base 11 each have a lip 41 that overlaps a mating portion of theside edges 26, 27 and front edge 24 of the lid 12. Alternatively, thelip 41 can be formed on the side edges 26, 27 and front edge 24 of thelid 12 to overlap mating portions of the side edges 17, 18 and frontedge 15 of the base 11. A sloped surface 42 is formed on the base 11between the upper edge 43 of the lip 41 and the welded surface 39, and acorresponding sloped surface 44 is formed on the lid 12. The slopedsurfaces 42, 44 provide a self-alignment function when the lid 12 ismoved to a closed position over the base 11. A knife blade contact area45 is formed around an outer periphery of the interface between the lid12 and the base 11. The lip 41 creates a plastic barrier when thecontainer 10 is closed that prevents a knife blade 46 or the like fromcontacting the welded joint 39. As a result, the welded joint 39 doesnot have to be strong enough to overcome the cutting force of the knifeblade 46. This allows utilizing a weaker weld 39 which makes it easierfor the legitimate user to overcome by opening the container 11 in theproper manner via the finger-grips 19, 28.

[0046] The welded joint 39 can be overcome by an individual removing theplastic over-wrap 40 and opening the container 10 via the finger-grips19, 28, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The legitimate user who removes theover-wrap 40 and attempts to completely open the container 10 has amechanical advantage over the individual who is covertly attempting tocreate a gap between the lid 12 and the bottom 11 without removing thewrap 40 and pulling the case 10 open via the finger grips 19, 28. Thisis because the legitimate user is using the mechanical advantages of thecontainer opening operation to apply sufficient leverage to overcome thestrength of the weld 39.

[0047] The location of the welded joint 39 can impact the effect of themechanical leverage an individual applies when opening the case 10. Forexample, if a welded joint 39 with a strength of ten Newtons is locatednear the opening side of the case 10 a distance of 0.125 m from thehinge 13, an individual will have to apply a 12.5 Nm moment to overcomethe welded joint 39 and open the case 10. If the same weld is located0.025 m from the hinge 13, only a 2.5 Nm moment is required to overcomethe welded joint 39. This invention takes advantage of thatrelationship. A stronger weld can be created by moving the location ofthe welded joint 39 closer to the hinge 13 and increasing the amount ofleverage an individual can exert when opening the case 10. This makesthe theft resistant seal created by the welded joint 39 much easier fora legitimate user to overcome.

[0048] Two major independent variables which contribute to the strengthand the size of the welded joint 39 are the amplitude of the vibrationand the amount of time the energy is applied. These parameters can becontrolled by an ultrasonic welder's control unit which is standard onmost ultrasonic welders. Another important variable is the design of themating parts of the lid 12 and the base 11 in the location where theweld joint 39 is desired. The design of these features can helpdetermine the amount of energy the case 10 can absorb before undesirabledeformation of the product occurs. It also determines the amount ofsurface area joining the two welded pieces. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12,energy directors 47, 48 can be added to the lid 12 or the base 11 of thecontainer 10 to help optimize this relationship.

[0049] Depending on the type of container being welded, it may benecessary to weld one, two, or three sides of the container 10.Additionally, the energy will transfer through the over-wrap 40 to theaffected weld areas. This allows welding the container 10 before orafter the edge-label and overwrap 40 have been applied, creating theflexibility of placing the operation anywhere on a packaging line.

[0050] A pair of support ribs 49, 50 can be provided at spaced locationsalong each of the side edges 17, 18 of the base, as shown in FIGS. 6 to9. The support ribs 49, 50 function to resist inward movement of theside edges 17, 18 of the lid 12 when the container 10 is closed. Forexample, with the container 10 closed, the support ribs 49, 50 will helpprevent breaking the welded joint 39 between the lid 12 and the base 11by an individual pushing the side edges 17, 18 of the lid 12 inward. Apair of corner posts 51, 52 can also be provided at the respective frontcorners of the base 11 to further strengthen the container 10.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the joint along the side edgesand/or the front edge of the container 10 can be created byultrasonically welding the respective contact areas of the lid 12 andthe base 11 together. Energy directors 47, 48 can be provided on thecontact areas of the lid 12 and/or the base 11 to control the strengthand position of the welded joint 39. The energy directors 47, 48 canfunction to cause a weak weld to form at the welded joint 39 that iseasy to overcome by the consumer when opening the container. The weldedjoint 39 is preferably made to yield when a torsional load is placed onthe joint 39, such as occurs during normal opening of the container 10.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, a disc guard projection 53 can be providedwhich protrudes from a side edge 17, 18 of the base 11 toward the lid 12a predetermined distance h. The disc guard projection 53 is constructedto prevent the product contained within the container 10 from slidingout unless the container 10 is opened by at least the distance h. Afirst pair of disc guard projections 53 can be provided at spacedlocations on a first side edge 17 of the base, and a second pair of discguard projections 53 can be provided at spaced locations on a secondside edge 18 of the base 11. The respective pairs of disc guardprojections 53 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to prevent theproduct contained within the container 10 from sliding out unless thecontainer 10 is opened by at least the distance h. For example, if theproduct is a disc with a diameter d, the disc guard projections 53 oneach side edge 17, 18 can be placed close to the opening and hinge sidesof the container 10 with a separation slightly less than the distance d.The disc guard projections 53 will provide the container withsubstantial resistance to theft, even if the theft resistant sealdescribed above is not used.

[0053] The theft resistant container 10 of the present invention can beused to discourage the removal of products from a variety of containersplaced on retailers' shelves. The container 10 can be in the form, forexample, of VHS clamshell cases and other optical media clamshell cases.The theft resistant seal 39 can be created by using a process other thanultrasonic welding, such as directly applying heat to create the weldedjoint 39 between the lid 12 and the base 11, or applying an adhesive.Alternatively, the mechanical or thermal energy can be introduced fromanother direction to create a weld along the wall of the lid 12 or thebase 11.

[0054] The present invention offers the following advantages over thealternatives described above in the background of the invention: itallows storing the retail product on the display shelf, it does notsignificantly increase the cost of the container on a per unit basis(minor tool modifications are The only cost incurred by the manufacturerof the case); it requires relatively little energy to create theclosure; it requires no replenishment of materials; ultrasonic weldingis a proven process used in thousands of plastic assembly applications;it has no impact on wrap clarity; no wrap or wrap equipment changes arerequired; it can be performed before or after the product is wrapped; itcan be integrated on existing assembly equipment; off-line systems canbe employed; it is effective at preventing the case from being slit witha knife; additional product handling systems are not required; itcreates less downtime on assembly systems because it requires noadditional material handling; only a minimal amount of downtime isrequired by the welder; an in-line process does not increase the amountof labor required to assemble the product; an off-line system can beadded anywhere in the case assembly process and does not requireinterrupting an assembly process; no additional material means nomaterial management costs; the welder is only activated for a fractionof second, creating low utility costs; it consumes little (off-line) orno (in-line) additional floor space; it does not require theintroduction of additional material, saving the cost of the material andthe cost to manage the material; tooling to fabricate a component is notnecessary; it is applicable to many different cases with unique patenteddesigns; it is applicable to other products cases (VHS cassettes, etc.)which do not incorporate a hub; it requires no assembly process,creating no labor cost increase; it requires no external enclosure; allproduct shipping cartons and case packing equipment are unaffected;there is nothing for the consumer to discard, thus there is no impact onthe environment; and there are no product lead-time increases.

[0055] It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limitedto the exact constructions that have been described above andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modificationsand changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe invention. For example, the various shapes and designs of the retailproducts to be kept in the container disclosed herein are illustrative,and the container may be changed as necessary to accommodate productshaving other shapes and designs. Accordingly, other embodiments andvariations not described herein are to be considered within the scope ofthis invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A theft resistant container for retail products,comprising: a base having a first contact area; a lid connected to saidbase by a hinge, said lid having a second contact area; and said firstand second contact areas being secured to each other to resist movementof said lid about said hinge relative to said base.
 2. The theftresistant container according to claim 1, wherein said first and secondcontact areas are secured to each other by welding.
 3. The theftresistant container according to claim 1, wherein said first and secondcontact areas are secured to each other by adhesive.
 4. The theftresistant container according to claim 1, wherein said base has a firstpair of side edges that extend along respective sides of said base, saidlid has a second pair of side edges that extend along respective sidesof said lid, said first contact area comprising a first pair of engagingsurfaces formed on said first pair of side edges, respectively, and saidsecond contact area comprising a second pair of engaging surfaces formedon said second pair of side edges, respectively.
 5. The theft resistantcontainer according to claim 4, wherein said first pair of engagingsurfaces extend along a length of said first pair of side edges of saidbase, and said second pair of engaging surfaces extend along a length ofsaid second pair of side edges of said lid, said first pair of engagingsurfaces being secured to said second pair of engaging surfaces toresist movement of said lid about said hinge relative to said base. 6.The theft resistant container according to claim 4, wherein said sideedges of said base and said lid each have stepped profiles thatcooperate with each other to conceal and protect the respective engagingsurfaces from tampering.
 7. The theft resistant container according toclaim 4, wherein said side edges of one of said lid and said base eachhave a lip that overlaps a mating edge of the side edges of the other ofsaid lid and said base, said lip creating a barrier when the containeris closed that prevents a blade from contacting said first and secondcontact areas.
 8. The theft resistant container according to claim 4,wherein said base has front and rear edges that extend betweenrespective ends of said first pair of side edges to form a generallyrectangular shape, said lid has front and rear edges that extend betweenrespective ends of said second pair of side edges to form a generallyrectangular shape, and said hinge connects the rear edge of said base tothe rear edge of said lid.
 9. The theft resistant container according toclaim 8, wherein said first contact area comprises a third engagingsurface formed on said front edge of said base, and said second contactarea comprises a third engaging surface formed on said front edge ofsaid lid.
 10. The theft resistant container according to claim 9,wherein said third engaging surfaces of said base and said lid extendalong respective lengths of the front edges of said base and said lid,and said third engaging surfaces of said base and said lid are securedtogether to resist movement of said lid about said hinge relative tosaid base.
 11. The theft resistant container according to claim 9,wherein said front edges of said base and said lid each have steppedprofiles that cooperate with each other to conceal and protect the thirdengaging surfaces from tampering.
 12. The theft resistant containeraccording to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and secondcontact areas has an energy director to facilitate an ultrasonic weldbetween said first and second contact areas.
 13. The theft resistantcontainer according to claim 1, further comprising a plastic overwrapcovering said base and said lid, said plastic overwrap resistingmovement of said lid about said hinge relative to said base.
 14. A theftresistant container containing a retail product the containercomprising: a base having a generally rectangular structure with frontand rear edges and a pair of side edges, said base having a firstcontact area formed on at least one of said front and side edgesthereof; a lid having a generally rectangular structure with front andrear edges and a pair of side edges, said lid having a second contactarea formed on at least one of said front and side edges thereof, saidrear edge of said lid being connected to said rear edge of said base bya hinge; said first and second contact areas being secured to each otherto resist movement of said lid relative to said base; and a plasticoverwrap covering said base and said lid, said plastic overwrapproviding an additional resistance to movement of said lid relative tosaid base.
 15. The theft resistant container as set forth in claim 14,wherein said first and second contact areas comprise engaging surfacesextending along the lengths of said side edges of said base and saidlid, respectively, said engaging surfaces being secured to each other bywelding.
 16. The theft resistant container as set forth in claim 14,wherein said first and second contact areas comprise engaging surfacesextending along the lengths of said side edges of said base and saidlid, respectively, said engaging surfaces being secured to each other byan adhesive.
 17. The theft resistant container as set forth in claim 14,wherein said side edges of one of said lid and said base have a lip thatoverlaps a mating edge of the respective side edges of the other of saidlid and said base, said lip creating a barrier when the container isclosed that prevents a blade from contacting said first and secondcontact areas.
 18. The theft resistant container as set forth in claim14, wherein at least one of said first and second contact areas has anenergy director to facilitate an ultrasonic weld between said first andsecond contact areas.
 19. The theft resistant container as set forth inclaim 14, further comprising a first pair of disc guard projectionsprotruding from spaced locations on a first side edge of said basetoward said tip, and a second pair of disc guard projections protrudingfrom spaced locations on a second side edge of said base toward saidlip, said disc guard projections being constructed to prevent adisc-shaped product contained in said container from sliding out of saidcontainer when said first and second contact areas are separated lessthan a predetermined distance.
 20. The theft resistant container as setforth in claim 14, wherein said container is a plastic clamshell caseand said retail product is an optical media.
 21. A method of making atheft resistant container, comprising the steps of: providing a basehaving a generally rectangular structure with front and rear edges and apair of side edges; providing a lid having a generally rectangularstructure with front and rear edges and a pair of side edges, said rearedge of said lid being connected to said rear edge of said base by ahinge; welding at least one of said side edges of said base to at leastone of said side edges of said lid to thereby resist movement of saidlid relative to said base; and covering said base and said lid with aplastic overwrap that provides an additional resistance to movement ofsaid lid relative to said base.
 22. The method of making a theftresistant container according to claim 21, wherein said welding stepcomprises supporting one of said base and said lid against a stationarysurface and contacting the other one of said base and said lid with anenergy transfer mechanism that applies a high frequency vibration tocreate a weld between engaging surfaces of said base and said lid.